@Mason Curry At the beginning of one of those "can I really do this?" project moments, this quote, this post, this mantra really helps. “You are choosing unsatisfaction for a while.” Thank you.
Funnily enough, this had been in my head because Duolingo keeps serving up dialogues to help learners distinguish between need and want. I much prefer Céline Sciamma’s version!
The "desired" list also seems useful for reminding you of why you're creating what you're creating in the first place, and as motivation to push through the "needed"
This is a super interesting idea...two lists are used a lot in humor writing to combine the real and heightened into jokes, so I've worked like that for a while in that form. It also feels a bit like Matt Bell's theory from REFUSE TO BE DONE of writing the "islands" of the book, the major scenes, and then connecting them with as little of possible...but Sciamma does it in the brainstorming stage. Lots of food for thought here!
Wow, there's a lot here, so much packed into a relatively short piece! Teach me!
First thing I thought was, it almost sounds like it's similar to the tension between 'creation' and 'analysis.' Or in writing terms, 'first draft' and 'editing.' I remember in art school tutors used to bang on about that John Cage quote, "Don't create and analyse at the same time, they're different processes" and I wonder if this is what D&G's and Sciamma's mixed streams thing is all about? Sciamma's desire list sounds like the sort of thing she "creates" in the beginning quite enjoyably—with its motivational images and ideas. And it sounds like she makes her needed list afterwards, and that it's more analytical, logical, strategic, etc. What do y'all think? When I write an essay (nonfiction), I can certainly feel these two processes needing to be done separately. Maybe I've been mixing two streams without really realising it!
The other thing that stood out @Mason is when you said that writing nonfiction books often feels more need than desire. I'm curious, is that because, by the time you've decided you're going to write a book, you've already made an outline and you already know what you're aiming to cover—and so there's much less uncertainty/excitement remaining in the project? Or is it something else? Super interesting.
Final thing I wanna say is a v quick story about how I found this blog today. Me and my gf are both writers and we've wanted to help support each other's work since forever. But whenever we chat about our work, all the messy subtexty stuff bubbling below the surface of our relationship ends up making us combative, overly opinionated and too easily wound up with each other. It's been quite painful for us both because we keep coming away from an attempt to help each other both feeling bad. Anyway. We had an idea: What if we both committed a couple of hours a week to work on each other's practice? We could delegate tasks to one another and, hopefully, it'll bring us closer together and move our work forward. We tried it today and it worked really well. She had me researching makerspaces in the middle east. I had her researching Substack communities that write about the craft of writing, like I do. So here I am! I found you today and thoroughly enjoyed reading this first piece! And I look forward to reading more. And who knows, perhaps my gf and I have found a way to mix our streams!
I really love this: "By following this procedure, she says, you can end up “in a position where you have two scenes you want, without the bridge you need.” Confronted by such chasms, in the absence of bridges, Sciamma has discovered new ways of cutting, new rhythms, and new narratives." Fantastic!
And I think if a book or a film or any piece of art feels "dutiful" or "half-baked" then maybe it's simply... uninspired.
Thanks for suggesting a way to look at my messy process in a more positive light. Sometimes it feels like I'm so mired in flux I'll never find my way out, and it can be discouraging. I will adopt the mantra of choosing unsatisfaction for a while with relief!
> You have to accept the fact that you are choosing unsatisfaction for a while.
I'm just going to apply this to my whole life.
@Mason Curry At the beginning of one of those "can I really do this?" project moments, this quote, this post, this mantra really helps. “You are choosing unsatisfaction for a while.” Thank you.
Wow what if you could do this with your whole life? That’s what I’m aiming at!
Funnily enough, this had been in my head because Duolingo keeps serving up dialogues to help learners distinguish between need and want. I much prefer Céline Sciamma’s version!
The "desired" list also seems useful for reminding you of why you're creating what you're creating in the first place, and as motivation to push through the "needed"
Love this - it reminds me of the same challenge with meditation (or life), which is to learn to sit with our discomfort!
Just. Wow. ❤️🔥
The two-list approach of desire and need is the lightbulb moment I didn't know I needed today!
I am in a state of "unsatisfaction" until I try this--which I intend to do forthwith. Seems potentially brilliant! Thanks.
This is a super interesting idea...two lists are used a lot in humor writing to combine the real and heightened into jokes, so I've worked like that for a while in that form. It also feels a bit like Matt Bell's theory from REFUSE TO BE DONE of writing the "islands" of the book, the major scenes, and then connecting them with as little of possible...but Sciamma does it in the brainstorming stage. Lots of food for thought here!
fascinating and potentially very practical
Wow, there's a lot here, so much packed into a relatively short piece! Teach me!
First thing I thought was, it almost sounds like it's similar to the tension between 'creation' and 'analysis.' Or in writing terms, 'first draft' and 'editing.' I remember in art school tutors used to bang on about that John Cage quote, "Don't create and analyse at the same time, they're different processes" and I wonder if this is what D&G's and Sciamma's mixed streams thing is all about? Sciamma's desire list sounds like the sort of thing she "creates" in the beginning quite enjoyably—with its motivational images and ideas. And it sounds like she makes her needed list afterwards, and that it's more analytical, logical, strategic, etc. What do y'all think? When I write an essay (nonfiction), I can certainly feel these two processes needing to be done separately. Maybe I've been mixing two streams without really realising it!
The other thing that stood out @Mason is when you said that writing nonfiction books often feels more need than desire. I'm curious, is that because, by the time you've decided you're going to write a book, you've already made an outline and you already know what you're aiming to cover—and so there's much less uncertainty/excitement remaining in the project? Or is it something else? Super interesting.
Final thing I wanna say is a v quick story about how I found this blog today. Me and my gf are both writers and we've wanted to help support each other's work since forever. But whenever we chat about our work, all the messy subtexty stuff bubbling below the surface of our relationship ends up making us combative, overly opinionated and too easily wound up with each other. It's been quite painful for us both because we keep coming away from an attempt to help each other both feeling bad. Anyway. We had an idea: What if we both committed a couple of hours a week to work on each other's practice? We could delegate tasks to one another and, hopefully, it'll bring us closer together and move our work forward. We tried it today and it worked really well. She had me researching makerspaces in the middle east. I had her researching Substack communities that write about the craft of writing, like I do. So here I am! I found you today and thoroughly enjoyed reading this first piece! And I look forward to reading more. And who knows, perhaps my gf and I have found a way to mix our streams!
Wow, thanks for sharing it. I love Céline Sciamma's films, now that I know her writing process even more.
I really love this: "By following this procedure, she says, you can end up “in a position where you have two scenes you want, without the bridge you need.” Confronted by such chasms, in the absence of bridges, Sciamma has discovered new ways of cutting, new rhythms, and new narratives." Fantastic!
And I think if a book or a film or any piece of art feels "dutiful" or "half-baked" then maybe it's simply... uninspired.
Thanks for suggesting a way to look at my messy process in a more positive light. Sometimes it feels like I'm so mired in flux I'll never find my way out, and it can be discouraging. I will adopt the mantra of choosing unsatisfaction for a while with relief!
Oh, I adore this. And her. Her "Petit Maman" film lives in my heart.